As a whole I think this while functionally decent doesn't really hit the mark in any real way possible in that the exciting parts of a shoot-style match (the technique, rapid changes in momentum, sick counters) just aren't really here for the most part. There's lots of tentative sitting in open mount and the pacing is particularly slow by the second round, especially when Maekawa takes charge on the mat since that's not really her avenue. While the actual work was for sure competent (Amano especially snaps on a super quick armbreaker out of full mount that really shocked the crowd near the beginning) it just never quite peaks at any point worth mentioning, instead trucking along at a safe but rather plain pace. They did do better than some of the dogshit UWF-I undercards in prior years though so that's saying.....something, at least? I thought the ending was goofy as fuck as Amano at the very start of the third round tries to run in with a dropkick and predictively does nothing, getting kicked in the head for a long knockdown. Amano gets back up, Maekawa just roundhouses her head off again to finish the match with a KO.

As I said above this had a interesting premise with fairly talented workers, it just never really got all that exciting. There's lots of downtime on the mat and less time seeing Maekawa land huge clunky kicks to the face and head; never a good thing in my book. Amano definitely showed a more amateur-style with a bunch of solid tricky takedowns and some submissions that I think could've been a interesting style to contrast with, say, ARISON-era Yoshida or Yagi. This just lacked a real hook to really sink my teeth into, which is a shame because this matchup on paper had a lot of potential.

If you love lean, mean power wrestling, watch this, clocking in at under 10 minutes yes thats right an All Japan title match in under ten minutes, this will hit the spot. In 1997, Johnny Ace turned face because he is the beloved gaijin since Terry Funk because he is so awesome and became Kobashi's regular tag team partner. Dr. Death formed the Triangle of Power with Lacrosse (for some reason I think is a badass wrestling name, best known as Jungle Jim Steele) and Gary Albright. If you are a casual fan of 90s All Japan, you've probably been led to believe that Albright came into the promotion had a stellar match with Kawada where he lost in 1995 and never was heard from again, but you'd be wrong. I am shocked he only got one Triple Crown shot in his run, he was pushed and protected. Doc & Albright are an amateur wrestling dream team. 

Dr. Death & Albright just unleash hell on the Super Generation Army. Within seconds, Albright DEMOLISHES Misawa with a German Suplex. Fucking Brutal. Doc wastes no time coming in illegally and throwing Misawa down with a Powerbomb. Akiyama cant do anything. Albright throws the best Double Underhook Suplex I have ever seen in my life in this match. Doc looks to polish MIsawa off with a Tiger Suplex when Akiyama soars from the top and decks Doc. He runs back over gets the tag. Misawa hits a Tiger Driver and Akiyama a quick Snap German with a bridge but Albright kicks the leg out of the bridge. Dr. Death hits an explosive Spinebuster and the Super Generation Army is right back to square one. Albright throws Akiyama down with a powerbomb. Misawa has seen enough and goes on an Elbow Rampage. Akiyama tags out. Misawa is diving everywhere hurling his body off the top and through the ropes. He almost gets the Tiger Driver on Alrbight but Doc interferes and powerbombs him to hell. The Super Generation Army never recovers. Doc/Albright steal the Nodowa/BackDropDriver combo and hit it on Akiyama wiping him out for the rest of the match and while Misawa flips out of his attempt, Doc smokes with a Dangerous Back Drop Driver. Brutal Dragon Suplex by Albright ends it mercifully. 

This was a shit-kicking supreme. This is Head Drop All Japan at its zenith. It was Misawa taking a ton of punishment. I dont think Dr. Death would have been a great challenger for Stone Cold in the Attitude Era, but under ten minutes the dude could still go and was a powerhouse. Fun in a very brutal way. ***3/4

This is the greatest Squash ever, right? I mean it has to be. Spike beat Bam Bam to set this up on TV. Spike come out all piss n vinegar during his entrance like a tiny Stan Hansen and wants to prove this is no fluke. He comes charging right at Bigelow. It ends up being legalized murder. The biel Spike took was insane. Bam Bam threw him across the ring and Spike landed hard. Spike did get a modicum of offense including the Acid Drop, but nothing doing. He gets caught and Bam Bam THROWS SPIKE DOWN WITH AUTHORITY WITH A POWERBOMB! How wicked was this powerbomb? It got a fucking Holy Shit Chant. He Akira Taue'd Spike rolling Snake Eyes but lawn darting him onto the exposed turnbuckle and Spike taps a gusher. The whole match Bam Bam had been taunting that he was going to throw Spike into the crowd and they were chanting "Over Here". He made good on his promise. He HURLED Spike from the ring, with quite gap on the ringside area. He must have thrown into at least the third row. SPIKE WENT FLYING! It was insane. Bam Bam does a cartwheel which makes me think in everyday life when Bam Bam was pleased with himself he would bust out a cartwheel. Bam Bam's weird moonsault for a sidesault diving headbutt wins it. Greatest Squash Ever! Defies rating. Worth watching. 

Wow did that suck. You see a matchup like Fujiwara vs. Aoyagi, and you think „Why have I never heard of that“ - well the reason is that it was bad. Straight up. The one cool moment comes early on when the are both throwing wild bodyshots at eachother. The rest of the match is Fujiwara just eating Aoyagi up, and not even doing a very entertaining job at it. Aoyagi rushes Fujiwara with a nice kick combo in the corner reminding you who he is, the rest of the match is Fujiwara taking him down over and over again, sitting on him and slowly prying into submissions. You keep waiting for the indy promoter to turn the tables on the legend but it never happens and Aoyagi is forced to tap out at just the 10 minute mark. Don't know what Fujiwara's issue here was, maybe carried over hostility from NJPW or he thought Aoyagi was beneath him because he was shorter. Eitherway this is not the match you fantasy booked, move on with your lives.